


Everyone Has Secrets

by Shi_Toyu



Series: The Truth is, I am IronWinter [3]
Category: Captain America - All Media Types, Iron Man - All Media Types, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Spies & Secret Agents, M/M, Tumblr Prompt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-01
Updated: 2015-11-10
Packaged: 2018-03-26 13:36:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 13,654
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3852754
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shi_Toyu/pseuds/Shi_Toyu
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tony Stark is happily married to his husband Bucky Barnes...he just hasn't quite managed to tell Bucky that he's a secret agent yet and he's really hoping that the Winter Soldier, and agent from another organization, doesn't manage to kill him before he can make it home for dinner.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Meeting

**Author's Note:**

> Also for the Imagine Tony and Bucky group on Tumblr. I REALLY liked this world. Let me know if you're interested in seeing more of it!
> 
> "Image Tony and Bucky are Mr and Mr Stark (or Mr and Mr Barnes) like the movie Mr and Mrs Smith. And work for rival, evil firms SI/AIM and SHIELD/HYDRA, but don't know it?"

Tony paced the length of the hotel suite he'd chosen to be their meeting place. He was a seasoned agent, skilled in multiple forms of hand-to-hand combat, ridiculously proficient with anything electrical, and a genius to boot. He shouldn't be _nervous_ about turning an enemy operative. He sparred with Natasha, the Black Widow, for Christ's sake! Except…this wasn't just any enemy operative. If his contact was who he claimed to be, this was the _Winter Soldier._

The Winter Soldier was a legend within the world of espionage, more of a ghost story than anything else. He was the Boogeyman's Boogeyman. Tony hadn't even believed he existed until Natasha claimed he killed a scientist she'd been assigned to project, shot the man _through_ Natasha's abdomen. Moreover, he was claiming to work for HYDRA, an organization SHIELD had been warring with since before Tony's parents had even met. They claimed they wanted to bring peace to the world, but their version of peace included subjugation and killing off anyone that didn't agree with them.

It'd been nearly eight months since Tony had found the encrypted message on a hacker site he regularly trolled to see if he could find any interesting recruits. It was a request for help and protection in exchange for information. It wasn't an entirely unusual post, but Tony had been struck that this person was looking for protection for their husband as well even though the poster had aready identified themselves as male. Tony had only had to think of his own husband back home and knew he would at least follow this through to the end.

Tony and the operative had sent several messages back and forth, each providing small bits of information to prove they were who they said they were, before the poster claimed to be the Winter Soldier. He'd signed on thinking he would be helping people, but the longer he worked for HYDRA the less sure he had become. When he finally stumbled upon some extremely incriminating files, he made the decision to get out. Those files were what he was offering SHIELD in exchange for their protection.

There were still nearly twenty minutes before the meeting was supposed to take place when Tony's phone went off. He'd been waiting in the room for two hours already so as not to arouse suspicion and the sudden break in the silence nearly made him jump out of his skin. He instantly recognized the tone as Bucky's and a smile slid onto his face as he swiped his thumb to answer the call. Some quality time with his husband was exactly what he needed in order to relax and get his head settled.

"Hey, lover. How did the interview go? Calling to tell me how much loved you and that you got the job?"

Bucky was a researcher for a major law firm and had recently decided he needed a change. He was supposed to be meeting with a potential new employer, which suited Tony just fine. He'd rather focus on anything than the possibility that the Winter Soldier would just shoot him between the eyes as soon as he opened the door. God, Bucky would kill him if that happened. Not that Bucky knew Tony was a spy/assassin/hacker/practically a god. Well, he might know that last part.

"I haven't had the meeting yet," Bucky huffed in amusement. "And I told you, it's not an interview. It's just an initial meet n' greet."

Tony could hear his husband's nervousness in his voice. It made him smile to think they were feeling the same things in such different situation.

"Want me to distract you with phone sex?"

Bucky snorted.

"I'm in public! I can't!"

"I'm not!" Tony grinned. "C'mon, you know you want me whispering dirty things in your ear while all those people are around, not having a clue what's going on right under their noses."

His voice had already dropped into a more seductive tone, but Bucky remained unaffected.

"You're ridiculous."

"So that's a yes?"

"It's a no." His tone was firm, but Tony could hear the undercurrent of amusement that said he wasn't irritated. "That's not the state I want to be in when I go into this thing."

"What a shame!" Tony lamented dramatically, throwing himself down in the suite's armchair with the phone still pressed to his ear. "Lawyers are so boring, babe. I don't know how you can deal with them. It'd probably be the closest that bastard has been to sex in years!"

That actually managed to startle a bark of laughter out of the other man and Tony counted that as a win. Sometimes Bucky could be so serious it was absolutely ridiculous.

"You know I love you, right?"

"I would certainly hope so. You did marry me, after all."

"I just…Sometimes I feel like I don't say it enough. And you deserve to hear it more often."

"Don't worry," Tony said softly, meaning it. "I've never doubted it for a second. I love you, too."

"Good. Listen, I've gotta head into this meeting. I'll see you at home tonight."

"Dinner's at seven."

"It always is."

Tony knew he had a big, dopey smile on his face as he slipped the phone back into his pocket. He stood and straightened out his suit, feeling much more relaxed than he had before the call. He did one last check on the weapons he'd hidden around the room, as well as the 9mm at the small of his back, before slipping his red and gold mask over his face. There was no way he was risking this guy seeing his face. It'd be an easy way to find out his true identity and that would lead them straight to Bucky. If Tony got killed, the director had already promised him that Bucky would be taken care of. It was quite literally written into his contract.

Between the phone call and the last minute checks, it actually took Tony by surprise when someone knocked on the door. Tony crossed over to look through the peephole and check out the man who'd come to meet him. He was broad and powerfully built. Tony could tell even with the distortion of the peephole and the baggy jacket the man wore. His hood was pulled up and the man's head was down, but Tony could still see a bit of the black muzzle-mask that covered the lover half of his face and the ski goggles that obscured his eyes.

Pulling back, Tony undid the latch and opened the door, making sure to stay out of sight of anyone who might enter the hallway. Nothing attracted attention like a brightly-colored mask in semi-public. The Winter Soldier slipped past him easily, lifting his head a bit once he was inside and pushing his hood back. Tony's jaw dropped. Mask or no mask, he'd recognize that mop of hair _anywhere._

"James?!"


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bucky and Tony come to terms with their new discovery and decide what needs to happen next.

"Okay, okay. Deep breaths. No reason to freak out. There's only the fact that my husband is one of the _most prominent assassins of all time and I never knew._ "

Tony dragged his hands through his hair, mussing up the chocolate colored strands and leaving them looking like he'd been out in a strong wind. Bucky sat off to the side, perched on the edge of the hotel room's bed and watched quietly as Tony had his little meltdown. His flesh hand was picking at the fingers of his prosthetic, a habit Tony knew well and had seen him do a thousand times before whenever he was nervous.

"If it helps, I didn't know you worked for SHIELD, either." His brow furrowed a bit in confusion. It was a look Tony had always thought of as utterly adorable. "How did you fake being the CEO of Stark Industries?"

Tony flopped down on the bed beside him, one arm thrown across his face.

"I didn't. I do both. Pep mostly runs the company, though. I just sign papers, invent stuff, and slap my name on everything."

"And the rest of the time you're a secret agent."

The genius sat up again, trying to catch Bucky's eye.

"Remember that car accident I told you was in? Before we met?" Of course Bucky remembered. He saw the scars from it every time he saw Tony's chest. "There was no accident. I was kidnapped and held captive in Afghanistan for three months. Turned out my company was double dealing and my business partner sold me out. SHIELD approached me after I managed to get myself free and I saw the opportunity to do something better with my life, something more than profiteering from war. SHIELD is helping people."

Bucky flinched and seemed to curl into himself. Tony reached out for him automatically, running a hand soothingly along his back.

"I thought HYDRA was helping people. I thought I was doing something _good_. Turned out I was just killing people."

Tony hummed a bit and reached his other hand out to twine his fingers with Bucky's.

"But you figured it out. And now you're getting out of there. I know this was only supposed to be an introductory meeting, but I hope you understand this changes things. There's no way I'm letting you go back to HYDRA now."

Bucky leaned into his husband, his head finding the crook between Tony's shoulder and his neck.

"They'll realize I'm gone pretty quick. They'll come after me, after us."

Tony gave his best smirk even though he knew Bucky couldn't see it.

"Let them come. The first thing we're gonna do is head over to SHIELD. I don't care what HYDRA has up their sleeve, they're not getting past me and my team. You'll be safe with us."

Bucky snorted.

"And to think here I was worrying about _you._ Guess I shouldn't have asked for protection for my husband after all."

"You know, that was a big part of why I responded to your post," Tony admitted. "All I could think of was what if I was in the same situation and I was trying to keep you safe. Even when I wasn't sure you were the real deal, I had to try."

Bucky lifted his head to kiss the genius, their lips moving together slowly and sweetly.

"You're the reason I found the courage to leave. I just couldn't risk losing you."

Tony smiled gently down at him.

"I think I know the feeling, babe. Now, c'mon. The sooner I get you to SHIELD, the better. I'll call Coulson on the way, let him know we're coming in. Director Fury'll take the news better coming from him."

Bucky had to smother a laugh as Tony pulled him up off of the bed and began gathering his various hidden weapons from around the room, shoving them all in a duffle bag he'd kept in the closet. Okay, so maybe six different handguns plus an assortment of knives was a bit much, but a little bit of paranoia was useful in his line of work.

"You didn't even tell them we were meeting, did you?"

Tony paused, looking sheepish, before he zipped the bag up the rest of the way.

"I still didn't know what information you had and Fury would have insisted on having a team waiting outside. You would have spotted them a mile off and spooked."

Bucky was giving him the same wide-eyed gaze he gave him every time Tony made something explode in his basement workshop.

"So you just decided to meet with a dangerous assassin you knew nothing about _by yourself?!_ "

Tony lifted his chin, looking defiant and a bit affronted.

"I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself, I'll have you know. Besides, Nat was gonna come by in an hour if she hadn't heard from me and JARVIS has a bead on my vitals so someone would have been alerted the instant anything happened."

"Nat? And JARVIS? As in your AI butler?"

Tony beamed.

"The one and only. And Nat's the Black Widow. She's part of the team. We call ourselves the Avengers."

Bucky's eyes nearly bugged out of his head.

"You're one of the _Avengers?_ "

If anything, Tony's grin only got wider.

"You bet your sweet ass I am. The truth is, I am Ironman."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, yeah. I have a vague plan for where I want this to go and what's going to happen. This started with a prompt, though, and I kind of want to keep that feeling going! If there is anything you would like to see, please just let me know in the comment section and I'll see what I can do about fitting it in there!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony and Bucky head over to SHIELD.

"So what else don't I know about you?"

Tony's eyes never left the road and he sped through traffic, weaving between cars in a way that used to give Bucky a heart attack but was now just expected. It was kind of sad that he couldn't still get a rise out of his husband every time he offered to drive them somewhere.

"My arm? I lost it by falling off a train."

Tony jerked, swerving dangerously close to a mail truck and ignoring the curses being hurled his way in favor of staring at his husband.

"You _what?!_ "

Bucky had the decency to at least look somewhat chagrined.

"It was actually before I worked for HYDRA, when a friend and I were running black ops missions for the military. It was a pretty long fall, but the snow cushioned the impact pretty well."

"Yeah," Tony grumbled, "well enough for you to _lose your fucking arm._ "

Bucky had the gall to smirk at him.

"I thought you liked my prosthetic."

It was true. The gleaming metal had been what caught Tony's attention more than anything else the first time they'd met. It was only his good luck that it was attached to such a gorgeous creature. Best trip to Cuba ever. Speaking of which…

"So when we met five years ago-"

"It was six."

"Right. Five or six years ago, in Cuba, were you there on assignment?"

Bucky sighed, settling back in his seat.

"Yeah. There was some rebel leader HYDRA wanted killed. I'd been told he was terrorizing several of the local villages, but…"

"You're not so sure anymore?"

"Can't say I'm sure of anything anymore."

"Except me?"

Tony worked really hard to keep the vulnerability out of his voice but Bucky just smiled at him softly.

"Except you. Well, you're love, at least. All those overseas business trips you take, though…"

"Hey! Some of those were actually legitimate!"

"The keyword there being 'some,' right?" Bucky chuckled a bit before sobering. "I was never in the Peace Corp."

"Yeah, I kinda figured that out when you mentioned black ops missions for the military…I'd really liked that about you."

Not that black ops missions weren't totally hot in that way that only danger mixed with mystery could achieve, but Tony'd liked the balance that marrying someone from the Peace Corp had provided his weapons dealing past.

"Oh, and I should probably mention, my parents are dead."

Tony nearly rammed into the mailman all over again.

"Who the Hell was that woman at our wedding, then?"

"Paid actress."

Tony actually struggled with that one, but not for the reasons he would have thought.

"I _told you_ I saw your mom at Treasure Island!" He waffled back and forth in his own head for a moment before confessing, "I've been married before. To a woman."

A quick glance across the car showed Bucky looking none too pleased.

"…Pepper?"

"God, no! Are you kidding me? That'd be like dating my sister!"

"You have a sister?"

Tony groaned. This was all getting so complicated. Who would have thought going from a double life to sharing the truth would be so hard?

"No, just a figure of speech…Full disclosure, though, I do have a brother. Well, half-brother. Arno. He's spent pretty much his entire life in an iron lung over at Maria Stark Memorial Hospital. We can go by so you can meet him sometime, if you'd like. He's the only living family I have left. Pepper's the only one who knows. Not even SHIELD knows about him."

Bucky nodded, silently acknowledging that this was more than just a secret agent secret that Tony was sharing with him. The genius appreciated it.

"Yeah…I'd like that."

The silence stretched between them for a long time. They were just pulling into the garage at SHIELD when Bucky spoke again.

"So what's you're ex-wife's social security number?"

Tony rolled his eyes.

"You're not gonna kill her."

"I dunno," despite everything, Bucky still managed to crack a grin. "I've been told I'm pretty good at it."


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony and Bucky arrive at SHIELD

Tony loved his job. He loved being an agent and working for SHIELD, not that he'd ever tell Fury that. His team was made up of some of the best people he'd known in his entire life. Even Rogers, who he was constantly butting heads with, was really a pretty decent guy. He even had to approve of the the organization's choice in headquarters. The glass-fronted, office-style building with a modern design and gorgeous architecture made a much better impression on Bucky as Tony parked his car in a nearby lot and walked them toward it than some sketchy warehouse like out of the movies would have. He shot off a quick text to Pepper to send someone to have the car picked up. He wasn't sure how long this would take, but he definitely wasn't gonna be in the mood to drive afterward.

" _This_ is SHIELD?"

Bucky was staring up at the building in absolute wonder and Tony couldn't help the way his chest puffed up with pride. No one ever said he didn't like showing off.

"Subtle, I know."

Bucky gave him a disbelieving look as Tony held open the door to the lobby so that the other agent could enter first. There was another set of doors further inside, heavy metal ones that would stand up to an assault. There was a camera in a corner that immediately swiveled to train on them. Tony waved.

"About as subtle as that tower of yours."

Tony pouted, about to snap back with a comment of how his tower was a work of art and could run itself for an entire year on sustainable, arc reactor energy thank you very much when the hidden doors on either side of the room opened and agents dressed in full-SWAT attire and carrying weapons Tony had designed himself stormed through and surrounded them.

"Stand down! Keep your hands where we can see them and make no sudden movements."

Tony grit his teeth in irritation and did as they were told. Of course Fury was gonna be a fucking asshole about this. He held still while an agent stepped forward to pat each of them down for weapons. He tried to shoot Bucky a reassuring smile even as the agent relieved his husband of three guns and a whole array of knives. Tony's own pistol was taken from him and he was suddenly glad that he'd left the rest of his weapons in the car. When the agent was satisfied that they no longer carried any weapons, he stepped aside and the one who was clearly in charge stepped forward. The others fanned out around them in an escort formation. Tony and Bucky's hands were cuffed behind their backs as the one in charge pulled off her helmet.

"Maria!" Tony beamed at her because, despite being Fury's lackey, Hill would listen to reason quicker than any other SHIELD agent Tony had ever met. Except maybe Coulson. "So nice to see you. May I just say you are looking particularly nice today? Did you do something new with your hair, perhaps?"

Her hair was a mess from being crammed inside the helmet and she shot him a glare for his impertinence.

"Shut it, Stark. We're taking you directly to Fury's office and you're in enough trouble over this as it is. I suggest trying not to piss him off for once."

She turned away to start the group off heading through the doors on the other side of the room and straight toward the bank of elevators that would take them to Fury. Junior agents and desk jockeys stared at them as they passed. Tony winked as they passed that guy he kept catching playing video games instead of working.

"I'll see what I can do," he told Hill. "No guarantees, of course. You know how he gets under my skin."

They all piled onto the elevators with enough space to be comfortable. Tony hadn't been with the agency long enough to have had a hand in designing this facility, but he was glad that whoever had been was at least smart enough to account for large equipment and prisoner transport. He glanced at Bucky again as the elevator began to rise. The ex-HYDRA operative was tense and staring straight ahead. Tony wished he could reach out for him.

"Hey," he called gently to get his attention, "it's gonna be okay. You've got nothing to worry about."

Bucky shot an appreciative smile back his way but didn't say anything. Hill looked back and forth between them suspiciously.

"Since when did you get so chummy with the enemy, Stark? And here I thought you considered anyone from HYDRA to be absolute scum."

Tony was pretty sure he was the only one who saw the way Bucky flinched.

"I'll be happy to explain everything once we get to Fury's office. You know how he hates to be left out of the loop. Suffice it to say that these are extenuating circumstances."

Hill made a noise of disbelief.

"Well, I'll certainly be interested in seeing what kind of extenuating circumstances can lead you to forgiving the people who murdered your parents."

Tony couldn't look at Bucky after hearing that. He'd been trying not to think about the fact that his husband worked for the very organization that had killed Howard and Maria Stark. The genius clenched his jaw as the elevator doors slid open and the guards shuffled them out.

"He didn't do that," Tony growled. "He's not one of them."

Fury's office came into sight, his secretary standing at their approach. Barton, who'd been leaning over her desk in an obvious attempt to flirt, turned to see what had startled her and instantly did a double take.

"What the Hell? Tony?"

The genius plastered a fake grin across his face.

"Hey! Birdbrain! How's it going?"

The archer's gaze darted between him and the rest of the group, lingering on Bucky with obvious confusion.

"Who's that?"

"The Pope. Can't you tell?"

Hill shot Tony a glare.

"We're heading in to talk to Fury. You and your team will be briefed once the director has decided how to handle to situation."

Clint's gaze locked on to Tony's and he gave a quick nod.

"I'll get the others."

He was gone before Hill could shout after him and the woman growled in frustration. She shoved Tony forward by his shoulder.

"Come on. You've caused enough trouble for one day."


	5. Director Fury

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony and Bucky have a talk with Fury and it doesn't go quite to plan.

Fury didn't even look up from his paperwork as Tony and Bucky were escorted into his office. Feeling cheeky, Tony flopped himself down in one of the armchairs that sat in front of the director's desk. He gestured for Bucky to join him, which the other agent did with only a quick glance around the room. No one moved to stop them so there was at least that.

"So, Nicky," Tony grinned broadly, "you seemed to have kicked up quite a fuss today."

Fury gave him his signature one-eyed glare.

"You're a good agent, Stark. You're effective in the field and you churn out some of the best damn equipment SHIELD has ever seen." Tony was about to open his mouth to make another crack when Fury's face hardened even more. "But you're a liability. You're unpredictable, volatile. You cause problems."

"I'm a billionaire, dear. It's called be eccentric."

"I don't give a fuck what you call it, Stark! What I care about is the fact that I get a call out of the blue from Agent Coulson saying that you told him you were bringing in the Winter Soldier and then you show up with your husband that you've hidden from your entire team looking like he just stepped out of a BDSM club! I do not _appreciate_ practical jokes. I had thought we'd covered that."

Tony blinked in surprise before turning to look at Bucky again. He'd shown up to their meeting in a baggy jacket but had discarded it before entering shield. The leather outfit underneath really _did_ look like it could have been worn in some sort of bondage scene and Tony had to suppress the entirely inappropriate surge of arousal he felt at that realization. He needed to focus back on the subject at hand or Fury might actually put a bullet in his brain.

"Uh, yeah. About that. Not actually a joke."

"Excuse me?"

"Bucky really is the Winter Soldier. He found out a whole bunch of bad shit of HYDRA and realized they weren't who they'd been telling him they were and wanted to get out and trade SHIELD information for protection. Only he didn't know it was me he was meeting and, surprise! We're an even more perfect match than I thought."

He sent Bucky a soppy smile, which was tentatively returned. Fury pinched the bridge of his nose between two fingers.

"So, what you're telling me," he said in a measured tone that promised death and destruction, "is that you are _married_ to the _Winter Soldier_ and just _walked him into SHIELD_ on no more than his _word_?"

Tony fidgeted nervously.

"Okay, well, when you put it that way it sounds super awful but I swear it's not that bad! We can _trust_ Bucky! He didn't know what HYDRA was doing!"

"Please, Sir, if I may," Bucky broke in. Fury rolled his glare right on over. "I understand what position this must put you in and I understand that you won't trust me right away. I'm not asking you to. I can tell you that I thought HYDRA was trying to do the right thing and that I'd been lied to all day long and it wouldn't make a lick of difference. The world we live in, my word means nothing. What you need to know, though, is that HYDRA is planning something big and I have proof. I'm willing to give you everything I know, the Project INSIGHT file, any information I have on HYDRA, everything. But you have to guarantee Tony's safety. I swear to you he knew nothing about me being an agent."

Fury gave them a long, considering look.

"Not asking for any pardon of your own? This isn't exactly the court system. A jury of your peers would be more likely to shoot you first and ask questions later."

"As long as Tony is safe, I'm willing to take whatever punishment you deem fit."

"What?" Tony whirled on his husband. "No! You can't do that!" He turned back to Fury. "Don't you dare fucking hurt him, you hear me! I swear to God I will make you-"

The door slammed open and they all swiveled to see Captain Rogers striding into the room accompanied by the rest of the Avengers team, all in full gear. Natasha was sweeping the two captives with a critical eye but Rogers was focused entirely on the director.

"What's going on here?"

Fury scowled.

"I don't remember inviting you into my office, Captain. I'm in a meeting."

"A meeting that involves dragging a member of _my_ team through headquarters in handcuffs. What's going on here, Director? I won't ask again."

Tony had never been gladder to see his team leader in his entire life. He and the Captain had gotten off to a rocky start and they pretty much never saw eye to eye, but there was no doubt that Rogers would defend his team till the end. Besides, he had a notoriously bad relationship with Fury.

"Stevie?"

Bucky's voice sounded lost, almost broken in a way Tony had only ever heard when the other woke up in the middle of the night from terrible nightmares. He'd claimed at the time they were from seeing the aftermath of massacres while in the Peace Corps, but Tony figured they were probably more due to his time with HYDRA. He was also looking at Rogers like he was a ghost and Rogers didn't look any better.

"Bucky?"

They launched themselves at each other at the same exact time, Rogers throwing his arms around Bucky and holding him like he might disappear at any second. It was painfully clear Tony's husband would be doing exactly the same thing if his hands weren't handcuffed behind his back.

"Oh, my God," _Jesus,_ Rogers actually sounded like he might _cry_. "I thought you were dead."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, hey! I just wanted to let everyone know that I am leaving today on a three week trip that will involve no cell phone reception, no internet, no heating or air conditioning, and NO RUNNING WATER. So...yeah. You guys aren't gonna hear from me from a little while but I should have plenty to post when I get back!


	6. Reunion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bucky and Steve get reacquainted after quite some time.

Tony knew he didn't really have any right to be upset. Well, okay, that was _his_ husband Captain Tight Ass couldn't seem to stop touching, but it was pretty damn clear they'd thought the other one was dead. It wasn't like he thought Bucky had ever cheated on him. Or ever would, for that matter. No, no. Tony knew exactly what was coming his way, divorce papers and assurances of, 'It's not you, Tony, really. It's me.' Yeah, he wasn't sure if anyone had told the people who used that line that it _wasn't_ as comforting as they seemed to think it was.

But Tony loved Bucky, Jim Jam, Buckaroo, Jamestown, Robocop, dear heart, light of his life. He would quite literally do anything to make him smile and make sure he was happy. If it was within his power or could be bought with money, Tony made damn sure Bucks-A-Million got whatever it was he wanted. So if what would make him happy was to return to his former lover then Tony would let him go. He'd cover up his pain and send him off with a smile. He could always drown himself in booze once he was alone. He'd stopped drinking after meeting Bucky, so it was really only natural to turn back once he was gone.

"What the Hell do you mean 'known criminal'?"

Rogers sounded furious and Tony figured it was probably about time he tuned back into the conversation. The large blonde man had one arm wrapped around Bucky and was glaring at the director like he'd personally insulted Rogers's mother. The others had fanned out around the room, taking up positions that either put them within distance to take down their chosen member of the guard unit or placed themselves between the guards and their teammates. Bruce and Thor had Tony's back while Clint was next over guarding Rogers's back with Natasha. Hill was standing behind Fury looking like there was nothing she wanted more than to just shoot them all.

"Captain," Fury's tone held more than a hint of reprimand that was doing him absolutely no good, "we have proof that the man you are defending is, in fact, the Winter Soldier and an asset for HYDRA."

"How dare yo-"

"Stevie," and oh, God, Tony was only just realizing that this was _the_ Stevie that Bucky always talked about with that far-off look in his eyes, "it's true."

Rogers couldn't have looked more shocked with Bucky had actually punched him.

"What?"

"I didn't know what they were doing, I swear! I thought they wanted to _help_ people. As _soon_ as I figured out something was going on, I started looking for a way out. I stumbled upon a few files and put up a message online to trade the information for safety. I couldn't-," Tony couldn't see his face, but he could tell just how pained his expression was by the sound of his voice. "If it were just me I might have tried to run, and what they're planning to do…"

"What _are_ they planning?" cut in Fury. "You mentioned something earlier about Project INSIGHT?"

"Not until we agree to terms. You already know my side of the bargain."

It was obvious that Bucky had picked up on the Captain's strong distaste for Fury and jumped right on board. He'd been much more polite earlier. Tony's chest ached more than usual. He'd have to put some more rub on the scarring there later. That was clearly the cause of his pain. Obviously. Not his horribly broken and shattered heart. Bucky hadn't even _glanced_ at him since Rogers entered the room. Fury's glare traveled across to each of their faces.

"Do not think the fact that you are an old friend of Rogers will sway me. I am not in the practice of cutting others slack."

Bucky pulled away from Rogers a bit, squaring his shoulders, but never got to say whatever it was he'd intended to say as Natasha sauntered up to stand before Fury's desk. The director raised an eyebrow at her in question.

"You have something to add?"

"Not many people believed me when I came back from my mission saying that I had encountered the Winter Soldier. I hope you remember what happened during that mission."

"He shot you through your abdomen to kill the scientist you were assigned to protect. I'm glad at least one of you is seeing sense."

"Correct, Sir. He saved my life."

"Oh, for the love of-By shooting you?"

"He easily could have just killed me to do his job. It would have been easier, even. By leaving me alive he left a witness, someone who could identify him at a later point. Like now, for instance. It was strategically unsound to let me live. It's not a choice I would have made if I were in his shoes."

Fury groaned, _actually_ groaned, and Tony couldn't help the little smile that quirked the edges of his lips.

"Fuck it. Fine. You do what you want. You will anyway. But if he pulls anything, and I mean _anything_ , I'm holding every single one of you fuckers responsible."

Relief rushed through Tony. Bucky was going to be okay. He was going to be taken care of. With the Avengers at his back HYDRA wouldn't be able to touch him, especially not with SHIELD's added grudging protection. Tony could live with that. Even knowing he would lose Bucky, Tony could live knowing he was safe and happy. He might even be able to stay with SHIELD, though he'd have to do remote work. He didn't think he'd be able to see Bucky face-to-face after their inevitable break up and not just completely fall apart. Bucky was it for him, he'd known that since the start. That was why they'd gotten married after only six months.

Fury tossed the keys for the cuffs across the table in a way that seemed decidedly disgusted. Tony let Natasha use that set on Bucky's restraints while he twisted around and took care of his own. He'd designed them, after all. Of course he could get out of them. Steve and Bucky were hugging again, now that the brunette's arms were free to hug back, and Tony sidled away to hide behind Bruce. If this kept up for too much longer, he was going to have to make a run for the labs.

"Friend Stark, are you well?"

God bless Thor for knowing when and how to use an indoor voice. His hushed tones drew absolutely no one's attention away from the happy reunion taking place in front of them.

"Yeah." He smiled at the big blonde, trying to make it at least somewhat convincing. "The cuffs were just on a little tight."

"So," Barton spoke up, "I get why this guy is here, but why the Hell was Tony in cuffs, too?"

Bucky looked absolutely radiant and he shot a glance around the room and headed toward Tony like a magnet. He grabbed the genius by the shoulders and steered him up to stand in front of Steve. Tony wanted to disappear into the floor.

"Stevie, there's someone I'd like you to meet. This is my husband, Tony."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Surprise update! Yes, yes, I know. This was about as expected as the Spanish Inquisition. Luckily, I was able to hitch a ride into the nearest town today and snag some internet so here you are! This fic is now totally completed on my end and I will be striving for regular updates from here on out...once I'm back in my regular country.


	7. Love and Friendship

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve has some trouble adjusting and Bucky isn't exactly happy about it.

If at all possible, Steve looked even more shocked than when he'd seen Bucky on the couch for the first time.

"Stark? You married _Stark?_ "

Well, really now, that tone was just downright insulting. Apparently Bucky thought so, too.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means you can all get the fuck out of my office and deal with your problems somewhere else," Fury bit out, death glaring them all into submission. "Anywhere else."

Steve and Bucky didn't even seem to notice.

"It's just not what I would have expected, is all. I mean, c'mon, he's not exactly…"

He couldn't seem to find quite the right words to describe just what Tony wasn't, but that hardly mattered to the one-armed assassin in front of him. The inventor turned just a bit to press one hand to Bucky's chest, not that he was under any illusions about his ability to hold the other back.

"Hun," he said, wanting to use the term for as long as Bucky would still let him, "it's fine. Really. Cap and I just don't really get along. Don't worry about it."

He didn't want to cause a problem between them. He caused enough of those as it was. The last thing he wanted was to ruin the reunion Bucky was finally getting to have with someone he believed he'd never get back. Judging by the expression on Bucky's face, though, the conflict was only just gearing up.

"He's pulled this shit before?" He switched his concerned look into a glare as his eyes shot back over to his childhood best friend. " _Steven Grant Rogers._ "

"Oh, my God," Clint's way-happier-than-currently-appropriate voice came from off to the side. "Captain America just got middle named by a HYDRA agent! This is too great."

Rogers was doing a great impression of a fish on land, his mouth opening and closing as he struggled for words. Bucky seemed entirely unimpressed as he just arched an eyebrow at the other man, doing an absolutely perfect imitation of a disapproving mom that Tony was much more used to having aimed at himself.

"Come on, now. What do you have to say for yourself, putting down a member of you own team? Cause I have to admit I'm more than a bit floored to find myself with the moral high ground when I've been working for an organization bent on world domination for the past ten years."

Clint was outright beaming as he leaned over towards Natasha.

"I'm never going to need to resort to Jerry Springer again, am I?"

"Shut up, bird brain," Tony snapped. "You're not helping. And James, I wasn't exactly innocent in this. Cap and I don't see eye to eye on a lot of things. We disagree. At the end of the day, though, we've got each other's backs and we _know_ that. I'm not very good at following orders, but we still work together just fine. Don't go blowing this out of proportion. I'm sure Rogers was just surprised, that's all. It's a lot to throw at a guy all at once. Hell, _I'm_ still surprised you said yes half the time."

That, at least, brought a wry smile to Bucky's lips, and it twisted the knife in Tony's chest to think he only had a limited amount of time to keep seeing it.

"Well, we _had_ only met six months previously."

Bucky's tone was warm and affectionate still and Tony thought he might push just a little bit further.

"What can I say, babe? Whirlwind romance. You had me hook, line, and sinker from day one. And five years later, you've still got me."

Bucky rolled his eyes.

"Six."

"Right," Tony recited just like always, hope blooming that all might not be lost. "Five or six years."

They grinned at each other, the earlier tension dissolved, and probably would have ended up making out if it weren't for Fury clearing his throat and ruining the moment.

"As tooth-rottingly sweet as you two love birds are, this is the last time I tell you idiots to get out of my office before I have you _escorted_ out."

Tony actually laughed and grabbed Bucky's hand to pull him along and out the door with the others not far behind.

"So, you wanna see my lab? It's not quite as big as the one I've got at SI, but I can promise it has _much_ cooler toys."

"Perhaps we should save that for later." Bucky glanced at the others. "I wasn't kidding about HYDRA planning something big. The sooner you and SHIELD have the information, the better. Is there somewhere we can talk?"

Steve, still clearly feeling a bit awkward from earlier, motioned for them to follow him toward the stairs. The heathen barely ever used the elevator if he could help it.

"There's a meeting room just one level down that we use for a lot of our debriefings. We can use that…And I'm sorry," he directed the last bit at Tony, surprisingly enough. "Bucky's right. I wasn't exactly treating you like I should back there."

Tony could only nod along. He was still trying to adjust to the idea that he apparently _wasn't_ about to get dumped, which was awesome. His brain wasn't quite ready to accept that Rogers was also apologizing to him. He'd hit his absorption limit for the day somewhere along the car ride to SHIELD after learning his husband was a master-class assassin working for the enemy.

"Uh, yeah, it's cool. No worries."

Steve didn't really look convinced, but it was the best Tony could come up with at the moment. He switched his attention back to the rest of the group instead, hoping for a distraction. For the most part, the other members on his team seemed to be watching Bucky with various degrees of curiosity. Clint still looked more excited than the situation really called for. He sidled up beside the genius and threw an arm around his shoulders.

"This is awesome, man, really. You totally made my week with this."

"Because Captain America got middle named by a HYDRA agent?"

"Well, yeah, that, but now we can both say we've flipped enemy agents of absolutely epic proportions. We can be, like, flipping buddies."

Tony just gave him a flat look.

"That is literally the stupidest thing I've ever heard. And I've had entire conversations with Justin Hammer."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> On my way back to civilization! I had my first shower in two and a half weeks last night and let me just say it was SO much better than bathing in a lake. Between that and the internet I'm about to melt from all the joy running around here.


	8. Staying HYDRAted

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bucky explains Project INSIGHT

"Alright," Steve said from the head of the table, face serious. "Let's get down to business."

Tony snuck a hand across under the table and squeezed Bucky's knee in support. The other smiled at him gratefully.

"As I mentioned earlier, I've been working for HYDRA for about ten years now. Ten years and three months, to be exact. They're the ones that built me my original arm, though Tony's had a field day upgrading it since then. I've been suspicious of them and looking for proof for about the last eighteen months."

"And you found this Project INSIGHT I have heard mentioned several times," Thor rumbled.

"Yes. And I knew immediately I needed to get it to someone who could do something about it."

Natasha's lips thinned ever so slightly, the only tell in her stony façade.

"What exactly _is_ Project INSIGHT? You haven't exactly given us any details on that so far."

"HYDRA has collected some of the greatest minds they can find, anyone they could get their hands on. They know that technology is key to the future and staying on top." He reached out to twine his fingers with Tony's, face pinched with concern. "If they'd ever found out we were married, learned they had leverage on you…"

"But they didn't," Tony soothed him. "And they can't touch either of us now."

Bucky sent him a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes and let a moment pass before he continued.

"There's this one scientist they found, a German guy named Zola."

Steve leaned forward with distinct interest.

"Armin Zola?" At Bucky's nod, his expression turned grave. "We've had some run-ins with him before. He's more of a weasel than a man, but he's dangerous and smart enough to back up his crazy."

"Well he's created an algorithm to get him, and HYDRA, past just about any firewall out there. They're building a facility specifically designed to handle the inflow and they plan to access…everything. Cell phones, computers, traffic cameras, security cameras; it doesn't matter. Zola will get them in and HYDRA will keep them monitored. It'd only be a matter of time before they were able to track down SHIELD and its agents, every other spy organization out there, and anyone who had ever been their enemy. The places to hide would become fewer and fewer until there just weren't any left at all."

Tony's mind was still trying to wrap itself around the implications.

"An algorithm? But how is that even possible? Every firewall is different. Home computers and low level government security I can see, even cell phones, their protection is negligible at best. Even then the code would have to be incredibly complicated, though. To be able to get into someplace as secure as this?"

He couldn't even imagine how complex that code would have to be. Not even JARVIS had the capability to hack in with that level of access, much less to be able to do so without being noticed, and the AI was light years ahead of what the rest of the world was dealing with, even the underworld.

"Apparently Zola's been working on this code for decades. HYDRA was just able to provide him with the equipment and backing to make his dream a reality. They brought in specialists and programmers, kidnapped or blackmailed or paid enough not to care, and spared no expense."

He ran his free hand, the prosthetic one, over his face.

"Hey," Tony called to him, "we're gonna stop this. Don't worry about it. HYDRA is gonna regret the fact that they ever dared to mess with you, babe."

Steve nodded in agreement, a near miracle.

"This is what we do, Bucky, and there's no team in the world better at it. Do you have any idea how close Zola is to creating the algorithm?"

"Too close for comfort," Bucky grimaced.

He released Tony's hand in order to fiddle with his prosthetic. Once Tony had started messing with it, he'd also started adding in safety features. Being the husband of a billionaire businessman came with a certain set of risks, even if they were trying to keep the entire thing away from the media for as long as possible. With a click and a twist, Bucky opened up the secret compartment Tony had added to hide a cell phone or tracking device in case of a kidnapping. A small external hard drive was hidden in there now.

"This contains everything I've been able to find on HYDRA. It has base and safe house locations, what I know of operative identities, and all the files on Project INSIGHT."

Natasha snapped it up as soon as he set it on the table's surface.

"I'll take it down to the labs and see what they can make of it."

"I'll go with you," Tony said as he stood. He didn't really want to leave Bucky, but at least he knew the other would be in good hands. "Someone has to be around to make sure those idiots down there don't do something we can't recover from. Besides, I'm itching to get myself elbow deep into this algorithm." He pressed a kiss to Bucky's hair and then another to his lips. "Be back soon, okay?"

His husband's eyes were wide and vulnerable, but he gave no protest. Tony wanted to just wrap him up and never let go.

"I love you."

"I love you, too." They shared one last smile before Tony turned to his team leader, face serious. "Rogers, you look after my man, okay? I want him in good condition when I get back."

Bucky just rolled his eyes and swatted Tony's hip.

"Go, you big lug. We'll be fine here."


	9. Techs and Tactics

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony and Natasha take a look at Bucky's flash drive.

SHIELD had a bigger problem than they'd thought, Tony decided as his eyes scanned over the data in Bucky's file. There was so much in here that the other agent couldn't have possibly known the significance of, but that Tony could see as clear as day. HYDRA didn't need Zola's algorithm to get into SHIELD because they were _already inside._ The inventor just had to figure out how far in they'd gotten.

"Tony."

"Not now, Nat. This is some serious shi-"

" _Tony._ "

His head popped up at her tone, gaze instantly following hers to the door where the SHIELD tactical squad had just entered the room. There was no reason for them to be in the labs. Well, none except for the laptop that sat on the table in front of him. They hadn't even finished scanning all the data to make sure it was safe to add to the main database yet.

"Damn."

Natasha hummed beside him, clearly thinking the same thing. Several of the other techs in the room were looking distinctly nervous. These weren't field agents. They'd taken the required courses for combat situations, of course, but who knew how long ago that had been and desk jockeys generally weren't known for their level headedness under fire.

"Alright," the head of the team said with a wry smile, "let's all just remain calm, shall we? No need to do anything we might come to regret."

"Funny," Tony glared. "I would have thought that was the line we should be using for you."

The man glared at him.

"It just had to be you, didn't it, Stark? You always have been a pain in my ass. How about you do the smart thing for once in your life and hand over that computer?"

There were about ten members of the team present in the room. Those weren't impossible odds by any means, especially not for two Avengers, but it did mean that the possibility of casualties was high. The techies were glancing at Tony and Natasha with worried eyes, some even moving into the territory of terrified. The longer this situation was drawn out, the worse it would be.

"HYDRA, huh? Maybe not the best career choice you've ever made. Tell me, is it the entire tactical squad or just your little boys here who've sold themselves to the highest bidder like a whore on a street corner?"

Rumlow growled and moved his gun to aim it directly at Tony.

"The computer, Stark. Now. Or I show all these geeks what the inside of that genius brain of yours looks like."

Tony held up his hands in surrender, sending a quick glance Natasha's way before he unplugged the laptop and lifted it off the desk.

"Okay, okay. No need to get antsy. I'm doing what you said, see?"

"Bring it to me. Slowly. You make one wrong move and every person in this room gets filled with bullet holes." He flicked his gaze over Tony's form. "Starting with you."

He had to bite his tongue to hold back his next smart-mouthed comment. He really didn't want to be responsible for anyone getting shot.

"That's it," Rumlow coaxed. "Nice and easy. It's good to see you actually _can_ follow orders, after all."

"Well, I do like to think of myself as full of surprises."

"My bosses are certainly going to be very interested in figuring out how you managed to find the Winter Soldier. We've been trying to keep that particular asset well under ground." He snorted. "The guy's a fuckin' idiot. Bought every word HYDRA sold him. Might as well have brainwashed the sap for what an obedient little monkey he is."

Tony barely even registered Natasha's shout of warning before he was launching himself at Rumlow with a roar. The computer hit the ground with a sharp 'crack!' and he heard the room all but explode with gunfire. He ignored it all in favor of punching the smug look clear off that bastard's face.

"Don't you ever talk about Bucky like that!"

They went tumbling to the floor, twisting and wrestling like eels as each of them tried to get the upper hand. Tony felt the back of his head strike the corner of a desk and was disoriented for the second it took for Rumlow to roll away and scoop his gun back off the floor. Natasha and a couple of the techs were taking on the rest of the squad, but that didn't do much for Tony as the gun was leveled at his chest.

"HYDRA would have rewarded you greatly if you'd ever decided to come to our side."

Tony spat out the blood from his split lip and glared up at the man standing above him.

"I'd rather die than join your sick cause. We're gonna stop you, you son of a bitch."

Rumlow just smiled at him.

"Alright, Tony. Have it your way. Oh," he bent to pick up the computer from where it'd fallen, "and thanks for making sure these stayed contained until we could get our hands on them. If they'd made it onto the main frame, it might've really caused a problem for us.

Then he pulled the trigger and Tony's chest exploded in pain. He slumped even further down the desk, hands clutching uselessly at the blood soaking his shirt. Rumlow took off out of the door and Natasha's presence was quick to replace him. She knelt beside the genius, shouting something at him that he couldn't quite make out. It didn't matter, though, and Tony pushed her away weakly, pushed her toward the door. Her hand caught his for a moment a squeezed tightly before she, too, was gone, chasing Rumlow down, and Tony was left alone.


	10. Close Call

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fury is even more of a douche than usual.

It was painful to wake up again. Tony tried to roll over with a groan but was stopped by restraints at his wrists, waist, thighs, and ankles. His chest felt like it was on fire and he tried to blink his eyes back to clearness to figure out what was going on. Had he been captured by HYDRA? How was he even still alive? He remembered the feeling of the bullet entering his chest, the blood seeping out of the wound.

A warm hand clasped his shoulder and Tony rolled his head to the side. Fury, of all people, stood beside his bed and Tony's brows furrowed in confusion. If he was with SHIELD, why was he restrained? He didn't understand what was going on. Where was Bucky? Where was the rest of his team? Were they okay? What about the techs that had been in the lab during the attack?

"Settle down, agent. We already lost you a couple times on the operating table. We wouldn't want to make a permanent thing of it."

Tony tried to make some sort of noise in response but it came out closer to a rasp than anything else. Fury turned away to grab a cup of ice chips and actually fed a spoonful of them to Tony himself. The inventor took the time to glance around the room, noting the damp concrete look of the walls and the basic-at-best medical set up. Fury glanced around too once he saw Tony looking.

"Yeah, the set-up's not exactly the accommodations I'm sure you're used to, but it'll keep us hidden. Oh, and sorry about the restraints. You kept trying to move in your sleep and we couldn't afford you aggravating that wound of yours." He actually looked just the slightest bit impressed. "You took a Hell of a shot to the chest there, Stark."

"Wha-What happened?"

His voice was rough and Fury fed him another spoonful of ice chips. He took them without complaint, willing to do just about anything to ease the burning of his chest and throat.

"We were betrayed. It was only a good thing I kept monitoring you and your little troupe after you left my office. I arrived at the labs with a team of paramedics just moments after Agent Romanov went after Rumlow. If we'd been any later, you wouldn't have survived."

Tony had to close his eyes for a bit, even just the little effort he'd used up exhausting him. He licked his lips a few times. The cut he'd gotten there was already scabbed over.

"How…?"

"Did you survive? Because you're damn lucky. Apparently the scar tissue from your little adventure in Afghanistan threw the bullet off course the millimeter it needed to miss your heart. It wasn't easy keeping you alive after that, especially not with the detridotoxin in your system."

Tony's eyes snapped back open.

"What?"

"Better if HYDRA thinks you're dead, Mr. Stark. Easier to keep you safe that way. It hasn't gotten out to the media, of course, but hopefully we can wrap this up quickly enough that it won't have to. I've already contacted Ms. Potts to let her know you'll be on an extended mission. No details as usual, of course. We'll need her reaction to seem genuine if it comes to that. HYDRA will be watching."

Tony strained against his bonds, but it was weakly at best and hurt like Hell so he quickly gave up.

"My team?"

"In the wind, but all unharmed the last I heard. Hill and Coulson are monitoring the situation. That husband of yours is with them, too, so you shouldn't need to worry about him."

Tony made a noise of confusion, not quite able to muster up the energy to speak again. He didn't understand. Why did Fury care about Bucky? Wouldn't he rather Bucky was somewhere far, far away?

"I don't trust easily, Stark. You know that. Still, I don't think even Romanov could have faked the level of devastation he displayed when we showed him your corpse. Rogers and Odinson had to work together to get him off of you."

If Tony had been anywhere even approaching near-capable of sitting up, he would have shot right off the bed.

"You did what?"

Fury raised an eyebrow at him.

"That's what the detridotoxin was for. We had no way of knowing if the Winter Soldier was still working for HYDRA in secret or not without testing him and we needed HYDRA to think you were dead. It was the easiest way to get both goals accomplished without playing our hand and leaving an opening. You know I'm not the type of man who enjoys having loose ends."

Tony hoped his glare was enough to convey exactly how he felt about the situation, not that Fury cared. The slimy bastard was far too concerned with getting his own goals accomplished.

"Store the hostility, Stark. We don't have time for it if we want to stop HYDRA and keep that husband of yours safe."

The inventor really would have liked to punch him in that moment, but there was no way he would have been able to manage it even if he _weren't_ currently tied to the bed.

"What," he finally managed to get out, and Fury waited patiently for him to struggle through the entire sentence, "do you…need…me to do?"

Because there was no way Fury would have gone through all this trouble if he wasn't trying to get something very specific out of it. The director of SHIELD gave him a level look for a long moment before reaching over to pick up a tablet from the bedside table.

"That, Mr. Stark, is actually quite simple. You were the only one who got a look at Zola's algorithm before Rumlow snatched it back. So I need you to come up with a way to stop it." He gave the genius a toothy grin. "You've got three days."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, posted this while laid up sick with a fever. Your comments have magical healing powers, though! (Hint, hint, wink, wink) Also, please check out my other stories! I've got a ton more Bucky/Tony fincs for anyone who is interested!


	11. The Fall

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> HYDRA might start wanting to get worried now.

Working was agony. There was no other way to describe it. Tony had been released from his bonds not long after his conversation with Fury and had been propped up on a veritable mound of pillows. Pain killers would just interfere with his ability to think, though, so he was on his own as he worked away on the tablet in his lap. Every movement of his arm, every _breath,_ sent pain shooting through his chest.

He couldn't stay awake for long with all the stress that was being placed on his body and there was always someone with him. If it wasn't Fury, it was one of the two doctors present at whatever base or safe house they were holed up in. Tony had a sneaking suspicion they might be the only other people in the entire place. Every time he fell asleep, whoever was in the room with him would reattach his restraints, which was probably a good thing considering how many nightmares of Afghanistan his chest wound was giving him.

Any time he spent awake, he spent working. Fury gave him reports every time they got new information and he used that to feed his plan. Despite what Fury apparently thought of his abilities, there was no way Tony could come up with something in three days to counteract a program Zola had been working on for decades. Even if he could, there were far simpler methods than trying to create some sort of super safety net for the world. That sort of thing only happened in science fiction and super hero movies.

Tony's plan was to try and stop the algorithm at its source. Like treating a disease instead of just the symptoms, he would hit HYDRA where they began. Unfortunately, that would also be where they were most protected. Good thing Tony was only trying to break through the firewalls of one program instead of billions. He'd never met a database, computer, or program that he couldn't get into. It was something that'd gotten him in quite a bit of trouble back in his college days.

Nobody would give him any information about Bucky and his team, which was extremely frustrating. The doctors claimed not to know anything, which Tony hadn't decided whether or not he actually believed, but Fury wouldn't say a word, either. "You don't need the distractions, Stark. Just do your damn job," was as much as he would give Tony whenever asked. It was enough to make Tony want to pull his hair out. Even once he finished the program, the three little card chips that carried the viruses that would bring HYDRA to its knees, Fury wouldn't tell him anything.

"Have a little patience, Stark. We're acquiring agents we can trust to actually get these inside."

By the fourth day, Tony wasn't even opening his eyes to acknowledge the director's presence anymore. He was trying to catch a nap, his legs strapped down but his arms at least free, when he heard the rustle of the plastic sheeting that surrounded his hospital bed.

"Unless you're here to tell me you've finally decided to tell my husband I'm _not_ dead, I don't want to talk to you."

" _Tony._ "

By the time he got his eyes open, his vision was completely obscured by long strands of dark hair. Bucky's arms were wrapped around him and it hurt but he didn't even care. He was just glad to have his husband back. He clung on as tightly as he could given how rapidly he was losing energy.

"Oh, my God, it's so good to see you again. Fury wouldn't tell me what was going on, wouldn't give me any news on any of you."

The team hovered a little further back as Bucky pulled away, though he didn't go far, and Tony settled back against his pillow pile. He held on to Bucky's hand, the assassin clinging just as much right back.

"How are you alive? They told me you were dead. I saw your _corpse._ "

Tony's chest ached for a reason that had nothing to do with the bullet hole in it.

"Fury's a dick, but he saved my life. That's about the short of it. What have you guys been doing? And who's that?"

He jerked his head in the direction of the dark-skinned guy who was hovering off to one side and looking distinctly nervous. He was actually looking a bit star-struck, too.

"Sam Wilson. Steve and I jog together sometimes. Are you really Tony Stark?"

The genius just rolled his eyes.

"No. I'm his Life Model Decoy. I'm laid up in this hospital bed cause my system has to recalibrate."

Natasha twerked one of his toes from where she stood at the end of his bed.

"Don't be mean. He let us hole up in his apartment when we needed a place to hide."

"Not being mean. Just got a short fuse without any pain meds."

He took no small amount of pleasure in watching how they all rounded on Nick.

"Mr. Stark had a very important assignment to complete. We couldn't risk his facilities being compromised."

"Yeah?" Steve, Tony figured he could be called Steve at this point, looked wholly unamused. "Is this the same mission that required you telling all of us he was dead? Including his husband?"

"Don't patronize me, Rogers. I did what I had to do."

"Forgive me if I disagree, Sir."

"Well, I didn't hire you for your opinions, Captain. I hired you to get a job done and now I have another one for you." He waved Hill forward from where she stood with a briefcase that contained the three chips Tony had programmed. "HYDRA infiltrated SHIELD too deep. There's no way for us to know who we can and can't trust at this point. Could be that only the tac team got turned, could be we've got a whole infestation of those cockroaches. It's not a chance I'm willing to take."

"SHIELD has to come down, too."

Fury hummed and nodded, the decision clearly paining him.

"SHIELD has to come down, too. And these chips are how we're gonna do it."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, yes. In the last chapter it was mentioned that Fury showed Bucky Tony's 'corpse' in order to test his loyalty. I am strongly considering writing that scene and tacking it on to the end of this. Would that be something you all would be interested in reading?


	12. Interlude - Bucky's Heartbreak

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The scene where Bucky is shown Tony's body.

It was that woman from earlier, Hill or whatever, who burst into the meeting room to get them. She'd rushed them to the medical wing of the SHIELD facility, but apparently it was already too late. They hadn't even gotten Tony into one of the surgical suites. He was laid out on a rolling bed, presumably the same one they'd loaded him on to get him here from the tech labs, and he was entirely still. Bucky knew that there were people talking around him, but he couldn't hear them over the roaring in his ears. All he could see was Tony laying there, eyes closed and a sheet pulled up enough to hide the hole in his chest even though blood was soaked through it to show exactly where it was.

"Tony?"

His voice was shaky and so quiet it could hardly be heard at all but it brought silence to the entire room. He took a step forward on unsteady legs, reaching for the man on the bed, willing his to open in eyes, twitch, _anything._ More steps must have followed because suddenly he was standing next to the bed with no memory of how he'd gotten there from across the room. His entire body was shaking like a leaf, but he could only focus on the man in front of him. His _husband._

"Tony? Sweetheart?"

His voice broke and he could feel the tears welling up in his eyes. They were supposed to be _safe here._ That was the entire reason he'd taken such a risk in coming in, wasn't it? He'd wanted to keep Tony safe, wanted to keep him protected. A trembling hand touched the corpse's cold shoulder and it was like a flip had been switched in Bucky's brain, sending him tumbling over the edge and into the abyss of insanity.

He knew he was screaming, cries of 'NO!' reverberating off the walls. Hands were suddenly on him, pulling him away and he fought against them with every scrap of strength he had. Some distant part of his brain registered that it was Steve and Thor holding him back but it didn't even matter. They were taking him away from Tony, _wrestling_ him away, when all Bucky wanted was for that damn bastard to open his eyes and crack a grin like he always did. Tears were streaming down his face by the time the two blonds managed to pin him against the wall.

Steve was talking to him, telling him he needed to calm down. How was he supposed to calm down? What was even the point anymore? He'd tried so hard to keep Tony safe and those very actions were what had gotten him killed. Tony didn't deserve that. He'd done nothing to deserve that. It should have been Bucky who'd died.

"He can't-" Bucky rasped desperately, "He can't be dead. He can't."

"Bucky." Steve shook him non-too-gently, but that's what it took to get his attention. "I'm sorry. He's gone."

He crumpled so fast it was like someone had cut his legs right out from under him. Steve and Thor holding him up was the only reason he didn't wind up as a heap on the floor. His best friend gathered him into his arms in a hug, Thor backing off with a solemn expression. Bucky clung to Steve in a way he hadn't since they were young and Bucky's parents had died, leaving him to look after his three younger sisters all on his own. God, they'd loved Tony almost as much as he did. How was Bucky even going to begin to tell them that Tony had died? That it was his fault?

"They'll pay for this with their lives."

Bucky managed to drag him head up to look at Dr. Banner in surprise. He hadn't expected him to be capable of such a vicious growl.

"He's dead," was all he managed to say.

"And we're going to kill them for it."

The scientist looked downright murderous, his entire frame shaking. Bucky just felt tired. Did it really matter if HYDRA was taken down at this point? Now that the reason he'd turned against them was gone?

"It won't bring him back."

"No," Bruce allowed, "but it'd make me feel a Hell of a lot better."

"We could use your help with that," Clint stepped up and said. His face was stony, but not unkind. "Tony was one of our heavy hitters. It'll be tough taking down HYDRA without him."

"Clint!"

Steve looked askance but the archer just shrugged him off, anger entering his expression.

"Don't give me that. It's what Tony would have wanted. You know as well as I do that his version of protection was just adding Bucky to the team. And soldier boy over here has more reason that ever to hunt those bastards down."

"I'm not forcing him to go out there!"

"I want to." Bucky pushed away from Steve, using the wall to hold himself up when his legs threatened to give out. "Tony would do it."

"But you don't have to, Buck. You've been through so much. It's okay to take some time to recover from that. We can handle HYDRA. This doesn't have to just become some revenge mission."

"They killed him, Steve! They killed my _husband!_ " His voice cracked and he had to hold back the lump that had risen in his throat. "If I hadn't come in, if I hadn't brought that damn USB…if I hadn't married him…It's my fault he's gone, Stevie. I have to make it up to him."

He could practically see Steve's struggle not to say anything, to deny Bucky's guilt. His best friend knew Bucky better than that, though, knew that there were no words to ease the pain of what had happened. They were soldiers, after all. They would fight on. Even if they'd lost everything. Even if Tony was dead and Bucky would never get to see his smiling face again. Besides, Bucky decided as he looked around the room at the gathered team, this was Tony's family. If Bucky couldn't protect him, he'd at least do his damnedest to make sure the ones Tony loved stayed safe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, yeah. Originally this was just going to be tacked onto the end of this fic but I didn't like the note that would leave this on, so now it's going here! Enjoy!


	13. Cutting Off the Head

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Avengers take the direct approach.

Tony wasn't able to physically be there for the infiltration mission, but he was still wired in with the group. He had cameras planted on their uniforms, both the front and the back, and earpieces for everyone. Apparently Fury _did_ feel a little bad for lying to the team since he didn't argue in the slightest when it came to carting an entire bank of monitors into Tony's little curtained-off area and setting them up for his surveillance purposes. Bucky stayed with him all the way up until the very last moment before leaving with the others.

"I love you. Be safe."

"I love you, too. If you get shot again while I'm not with you I'm going to be very upset."

Tony grinned at him.

"I'll see what I can do."

Then the team had set off, Tony's chips right along with them. Steve, Natasha, and Bucky each carried one. They would have to head back to the SHIELD headquarters, now full of HYDRA agents and SHIELD operatives who had no idea what was going on, and break in. The chips had to be loaded onto the three main computers that ran the entire building. It wasn't a system Tony had set up, but he had upgraded it numerous times since first joining the agency. It would be a shame to destroy it as completely as he was going to need to.

"Widow, you got a tail on your six."

There was a twang and a whoosh of air before the man on Tony's screens fell, an arrow sprouting from between his eyes.

"Not anymore."

"Damn it, Barton! I've got cameras on every one of you and you're _still_ beating me to the punch! Just how good _are_ those eyes of yours?"

"Chatter," Steve cut in. "I want this taken care of as quickly as possible. If it's not relevant to the mission, I don't want to hear about it."

Tony pouted, but did as he was told. He figured he owed Cap for taking care of Bucky while the genius was out of commission anyway. There was no telling what Bucky would have done if Steve hadn't been there with him, probably tried to wage a one-man war against HYDRA and gotten himself killed in the process. Instead, Tony tried to keep an eye on his team while hacking into the PA system over at SHIELD. It wasn't long before _America the Beautiful_ was playing over the loud speakers.

"Stark, what the Hell is that?"

"Your intro music, Cap! I thought it would be appropriate. Now, I'm patching you through in three, two, one…"

Steve was great at giving speeches. Tony had to give it to him on that one. He seemed to come up with these things off the top of his head and they were more inspirational than if Tony had sat down for eight hours straight with an entire team of professionals. Whenever the billionaire went off-script, he ended up turning the entire company over on its head. The bright side was that at least Pepper didn't make him do press conferences any more.

"New guy, incoming on your left."

"Got it. Thanks."

"His name is Sam," came Bruce's sigh over the line, completely at odds with the way he was absolutely tearing through his own set of opponents. There was a reason they referred to him as The Other Guy during fights.

"Yeah, yeah. He lives through this fight, I'll remember his name."

"Tony!"

"What? It's called incentive!"

"You're a terrible person, man." He could hear the grin in Clint's voice. "I love it."

" _Chatter._ I won't say it again."

"Sorry, mom! Bucky, where are you, babe? I don't recognize that corridor."

"Probably because every hallway in this damn place looks exactly the same," his husband growled over the coms. "I don't even know what floor I'm on anymore."

"Okay, okay. Find the elevators or a stairwell and I'll get you where you need to go."

"I've got the first chip in and ready to go," Natasha said.

Tony twisted a bit too fast to look at his tablet and hissed in a breath from the pain.

"What is it? What happened? Tony, are you okay?"

"Fine," he grit out. "Just twisted around too far, hun. Don't you worry about me."

Bucky made a noise of discontent, but let it go. Tony had absolutely no doubts he would be getting a complete check over once they were back together again. He flipped through the screens on his tablet to check on Natasha's chip.

"The virus seems to be infiltrating perfectly as planned, boys and girls. Let's get those others in place so the destruction can really start. Each one can only track so many sources off of the links HYDRA has in SHIELD. The more we get going, the longer the list is of the bases we can wipe out after this."

"I just reached the room," came Steve's voice. "putting in my piece now."

"Oh, hey. I've got eyes on Steve and Natasha. Apparently I was on the right floor after all. The next time you guys design a headquarters, put some signs up, would ya?"

Tony grinned.

"I'll take it under advisement."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, guys! Only one chapter left! Can I just take a moment to say you are all fabulous and thank you for taking this journey with me? I hope you all have had as much fun with it as I have.


	14. The End

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay on this one, guys. I actually...forgot I hadn't already posted it...

Fury was gone before the others even got back from SHIELD. In the wind, Tony was sure. They wouldn't be able to find him even if they wanted to. Natasha's guess was that he'd made for the islands, but they couldn't be sure. He was _the_ spy, after all. Good thing they didn't need him.

Tony figured that since the doctors had disappeared, too, that meant he was free to leave as well. First time he'd ever checked himself out of a 'hospital' without it being against medical advice. Of course, that didn't stop Bruce from protesting and Tony shamelessly used the opportunity to convince the other scientist to come home with Bucky and himself. After that, it was barely an hour until it was decided the entire team would be coming back with them. The Avengers needed a new base and there weren't many places with a security system like JARVIS. Plus Tony had already gone to great lengths to make sure the house couldn't be easily found. Most of them _swore_ it was just a temporary thing but Tony had a way of convincing people to stick around longer than they planned to. It was just one of his many gifts.

"So what now? SHIELD's fallen and we've got no more employer. HYDRA is scattered. I'll have the information from my virus pouring into my systems in no time. What's the plan?"

The entire team was gathered in Tony and Bucky's living room. The genius himself was ensconced in a large armchair that he was sharing with his husband. His back was to Bucky's chest and he was about as comfortable as one could be with a bullet hole in them.

"Zola is still out there," Bucky rumbled.

Steve nodded in agreement.

"And far too much of HYDRA for my comfort, even if they are scattered."

"So we take them out?" Sam asked, his elbows resting of the back of the sofa. "Seems like an awfully big job for just eight people."

Natasha snorted and didn't even dignify that with a response.

"We'll start with the information Tony acquires and go from there."

"Who knows?" Clint smirked. "We may even pick up a few more party members along the way."

Tony groaned.

"You and your strays, Barton."

"Don't hate! That's how we got 'Tasha! And Thor!"

"We got Thor because he _decided_ he wanted in. There wasn't anybody else who could make that decision."

Bucky pressed a kiss to the inventor's hair.

"Well I'm glad he did. That guy can kick some serious ass."

"We shall have to spar some time, my friend! We have not yet gotten the chance to test our mettle against each other but you have proven yourself a mighty warrior indeed!"

"Yeah, where are you from, again?"

"Oh, my God. You're all insane," Sam groaned.

"It's not too late to back out if you want to."

"Oh, don't lie to the man, Brucie-bear. This team is like Hotel California, you can never leave."

"Huh…You know, I honestly can't tell if that's a good or a bad thing."

"I think it's more of a personal choice."

"Can we get back on topic, please?"

Tony grinned and snuggled just a bit closer to Bucky, enjoying the warmth the other gave off.

"By all means, please proceed."

Steve looked like he was about to say something back to that but then thought better of it.

"We need to go after HYDRA. Even without SHIELD at our back, HYDRA can't be allowed to just run free. They may be crippled for now, but that's not going to last very long if they get left to their own devices."

"So we hunt them down like bears in the winter and claim their hides to warm our beds at night!"

"Dude," Clint side-eyed Thor, "that's kinda messed up. And I can't even really tell why."

"I think it was the bed warming part. That's what tripped me up."

"See, Brucie? Look at 'im go! He'll fit right in."

"Says the guy who claimed he'd only remember my name is I survived my first mission."

"Don't kid yourself, Sammy. That wasn't your first mission. That was your trial run."

Clint practically cackled.

" _Terrible,_ man!"

Steve heaved a sigh.

"Is this what Fury felt like dealing with us all the time?"

Tony just grinned at him.

"No way. Fury had it _way_ worse."

"How?"

"He had _you_ to deal with, too!"


End file.
